Hogyoku
The Hogyoku (meaning "Crumbling Orb", Viz meaning "Breakdown Sphere") is a small, bluish-purple orb composed of a unique substance thought to be capable of dissolving the boundaries between Soul Reapers and Hollows, allowing one race to attain the powers of the other. However, its true power lies in its ability to sense the hearts of those around it, and to materialize their deepest desire. Two Hogyoku are known to exist, the first invented by Sosuke Aizen, and the other by Kisuke Urahara. Ultimately, Aizen presents his orb to that of the latter, forming a single Hogyoku. History Soul Reaper World Sometime, before Kisuke Urahara even conceived the concept of the Hōgyoku, Sōsuke Aizen had already come to the same conclusion, having created one of his own. Realizing that it was still incomplete, Aizen presented to it the souls of hundreds upon hundreds of Soul Reapers and Rukon District citizens, to no avail. In time, Aizen analyzed the research data concerning Kisuke Urahara’s own Hōgyoku, learning that it too, was incomplete. With this in mind, Aizen sought to steal Urahara’s Hōgyoku, and to present it to his own. Roughly 101 years before the current time, Sōsuke Aizen put an experiment into motion that would put the true capabilities of the Hōgyoku to the test. With the help of his subordinates, he forcibly caused Shinji Hirako and a number of other Soul Reaper captains and lieutenants to undergo Hollowfication. In an attempt to reverse the damage Aizen had caused, Kisuke Urahara attempted to use the Hōgyoku on them. However, while it succeeded in stabilizing their souls, it failed to undo the Hollowfication. Framed for the incident by Aizen, Kisuke fled to the world of the living with the group of Soul Reapers, bringing his Hōgyoku along with him. Eventually, the group of Shinigami gained control over their newfound Hollow powers and became known as the Visored, rogues rumored to have gained Hollow powers through illegal means. Ninja World In some point in the Ninja World, in Kirigakure, while ending the pursue of the kekkei genkai users, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Gyokame decided to created his own Hogyoku by using the souls (actually spiritual pressure) of the pursuers and several rogue ninja. Before his death by Kisame Hoshigaki and Madara Uchiha at the Land of Sound, Mei and her Terumi Squad (of Mamiya Terumi and Jinruko Terumi) with Izagi Uchiha's mother and Kuzon Akerama's mother, and Sumito Hozuki (Mangetsu and Suigetsu's mother) have finish consturcting the Kirigakure's Hogyoku. Activation When Aizen gained possession of Kisuke Urahara's Hōgyoku, the seal that the latter had placed on it was broken, but the orb still needed time to awaken from its dormancy. However, Aizen discovered a way to temporarily bypass this awakening period. He found that the Hōgyoku could be fully awakened, if only for an instant, by allowing it to momentarily fuse with an individual that possesses at least twice the Spiritual Pressure of a captain-level Shinigami. Aizen himself possesses such a level of Spiritual Pressure, and therefore uses the Hōgyoku to enhance his Arrancar White Army. Powers Overbearing Power: When Tessai Tsukabishi first witnessed the Hōgyoku, he remarked that it possessed an overbearing power unlike anything else in the Soul Society, a power completely unrelated to Spiritual Pressure. He goes on to say that its very presence felt as though it were trying to stifle his very existence with its power. Desire Materialization: Though initially thought to solely possess the power to control the boundary of the two contravening existences, that of Soul Reapers and Hollows, this was proven incorrect. Rather, the Hōgyoku's true power is the ability to capture and materialize the hearts of everything that exists around it. However, this power is not without limitations. Not only must the target’s heart be in the vicinity of the Hōgyoku , but if the target does not essentially possess the power necessary to beget their desires, however, then it is impossible to manifest. Aizen claims that all the events that happened around Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki and Kisuke Urahara were events materialized by the Hōgyoku itself, which possesses a will of its own. *'Hollowfication/Arrancarification': While not truly an ability of the Hōgyoku itself, the orb took on this property because it is what Kisuke Urahara desired when he invented it. Through this power, the Hōgyoku could be used to bypass the barrier that separates Soul Reapers and Hollows. As such, it can cause Shinigami to undergo Hollowfication, and Hollows to undergo Arrancarification. These processes lead to the creation of a Hollow-Soul Reaper Hybrid and an Arrancar, respectively. *'Spiritual Baby Methodification': Secretly, Aizen ordered Madara to select several high-ranking Hollows, to find some Human women (alive) to mate with him. Under the power of the Hogyoku, the selected Hollows sacrifice their hatred of Humans, in order to inpregnant them. Once done, the Human mother(s) can give birth in 4 and a half months, she gives birth to a single or twin infants, with no birth side effects and a big amount of Spiritual Pressure (due to the amount of power of Aizen's Hogyoku), which creates the birth of a new spiritual race, known as Kaketekis. Fusion: As demonstrated by Aizen, the Hōgyoku can be embedded into one’s body, almost fusing with it completely. In this state, the Hōgyoku instinctively protects its master, granting him immortality. It heals its master’s injuries almost instantly, in a manner similar to a Hollow’s instant regeneration. As the Hōgyoku’s will further understands its master’s heart, the fusion between them progresses, restructuring his soul and triggering a transformation. Subjects Exposed to the Hogyoku Category:Items